Teams: UC Davis vs. California
Records: Aggies, 0-0; Golden Bears, 0-0
Where: Aggie Stadium
When: Saturday at 1 p.m.
Who to watch: The Aggies are in good hands with senior Britt Farquharson leading the attack.
The Ontario, Can. native led UC Davis in goals, shots, shooting efficiency and draw controls last season. Farquharson earned All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament honors for her four-goal performance in a 16-14 win over Denver in the first round of the tournament.
Did you know? UC Davis plays only four games at Aggie Stadium this season. As a result, the Aggies will go on some long road trips, going as far as Riverdale, N.Y. to play Manhattan University.
Preview: The Aggies are trying something new this year with team leadership – they don’t have any team captains.
“We’re trying a collective leadership approach this season,” Jones said. “That way everybody has a role in helping the team out and leadership doesn’t fall on just two players.”
Jones is trying the new system to incorporate all players into a leadership role and to make it easier for the underclassmen to have a voice on the team, something the Aggies lacked last season.
“Last year we were young,” Jones said. “I would like to see all of our juniors and seniors step up into a leadership role and more contribution from our sophomores.”
The Aggies are returning 14 players from last year’s 6-12 squad, something Jones is excited about.
“We’re going to have a lot of experienced upperclassmen and our underclassmen have made great strides this offseason,” Jones said. “I have high expectations for the team.”
UC Davis opens up the season against California at home. The Golden Bears are ranked third in the MPSF, while Aggies come in at fifth.
The Aggies have never beaten the Golden Bears in Jones’ tenure, but the coach isn’t worried.
Jones said her team is ready for the challenge thanks to a balanced offense, defense and midfield.
“Cal is a tough team, but we’re not thinking about the past record.”
– Jason Alpert
